Business is Business.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 52

Business is Business.

TOLD OF COLONEL JOHN HAY.

As Colonel John Hay, the American Ambsutsador to England, was walking down a New York street one day nofc so very many years ago, wondering what classic theme he thould tackle next, imagine his astonishment at saeing the dead walls and fences all plastered over with big yellow bills, announcing in huge letters that a story, "written expresily for the Weekly Slasher" — it is not necessary to identify more particularly the pßper in question — " by tha rising young poet John Hay, author of • Little Breeches' and other popular bafltdff, will appear in this weuk'o issue ; sold at all newsstands ; price 10a a copy." With cold chills running down his back, the Colonel hasloned to the Slasher offic«, where ho found the editor, in hi* shhfc 'sleeves, hard aA work reading \the proof cf an advertisement which wa« about to ba inserted in tome of thb great dailies, stating thab the BUsher had "procured, at enormous expense, this great attraction," &0., and adding a brief bio-, graphical notice of •• the brilliant young poet," Colonel Hay shot qur sbions at the editor 83 fast as ho could to find out what he nacant by all thi*. The editor reminded him that, far back in tho days before he had made any reputation, and when he was glad to turn out stories for whab he could ger, ho had written one whicb, after various vicissitude?, had found its way into the Slasher office, been paid for, pigeon-holed, s.nd forgotten. " But my name was nob signed to it," gasped Hay. " Ob, that's neither here nor there," chuckled the editor ; "you wrote ib, didn't jroa ?" " I believe I did." " Well, you're a man of horrbur, and you won't deoy its authorship. So what does ib signify ? We had your name ou our books, bocause we ru*cle cub a cheque for you. One of my s»Gii«bants happened to come across that story in e'earing out a desk the other day, and he renogohed its commercial v*lue at the present juncture, name and all." " What; will yon take to give, ib back to me and suppress ycur announcement ? " " Money wouldn't buy it, Colonel. I know an advertisement xvhen I see cne, and the Slasher has nob had one as good as this in a dog's age. No, sir. Your story's in type, with original illustrations, and in tyjps ib st«.y». Fob eorry to seem unaccommodating, bub buaines« ' is business. Good morning. 1 * Colonel Hay de-liv-rod himself rigorously of a piece of his mind, which the editor tcok with the utmo«t aerenrty, and swung indignantly out of the BnncJ.una. But the story duly appeared.